China asserts sovereignty over Taiwan in foreign minister's statement.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang stated that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China and it is right for China to uphold its sovereignty. He also accused Taiwan independence separatist forces and a handful of countries of attempting to disrupt the status quo. China recently held military exercises around the self-ruled island after Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, returned to Taipei following a meeting in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.